My animal vomited today. What should I do?

Vomiting is very common in animals. With cats it is most often caused by hairballs and with dogs it usually occurs after eating something inappropriate such as grass, garbage, animal feces etc. The first step you should do is remove access to both food and water for at least 12 hours. Assuming that during this 12 hours there is no more vomiting, you should then introduce water or ice cubes in small amounts. After holding down water for 4-6 hours you can try offering a small amount of a bland diet such as cooked ground beef or chicken with either rice or potatoes. If your pet continues to keep food down then you can gradually add back its normal diet over the next few days.

If during the initial 12 hour fast your pet continues to vomit or vomiting persists intermittently then it should be seen by a veterinarian as it could be something more serious such as a foreign body (socks, underwear, string in cats etc.) or a metabolic or infectious disease. Your pet could also become dehydrated if vomiting persists.

If there is any chance that the vomiting is due to exposure to a poison such as antifreeze, chocolate, grapes or raisins in dogs or lillies in cats call us immediately 952-890-9696.